


Consolidation

by NeurotropicAgentX



Series: Under One Flag [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Combat, Empress Padmé Amidala, F/M, Hints of Dathomirian Culture, Jedi Philosophy, M/M, Multi, Pirates, Politics, Polyamory, Sparring, lots of politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-20 04:54:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9476582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeurotropicAgentX/pseuds/NeurotropicAgentX
Summary: Empress Amidala goes on a delicate diplomatic mission to a planet with strict border control laws banning Force-users from entering their system. Neither Maul nor Obi-Wan are pleased at being left behind, even if she's taking several squads of the new clone troopers with her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Turns out this ’verse is more fun to write in than anticipated. This fic won’t make much sense without reading [Unification](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8510362) first. 
> 
> Huge thank you to my editor for all her assistance.

‘You can’t go without us! It’s too dangerous and obviously a trap,’ Maul said. His face was set in a stubborn expression.

‘I hate to agree with him, but I do wonder how long Ramnos has had a law against Force-sensitives,’ Obi-Wan added. 

‘See, even your Jedi agrees,’ Maul said gesturing sharply in Obi-Wan’s direction. ‘You are the Empress. You should take whoever you want to the negotiations.’

Padmé gave a half-smile. It was good to see Maul confident enough to be arguing with her so directly, even though it would be easier if both he and Obi-Wan were acting less paranoid. ‘I’m going to follow Ramnosan laws and customs as a gesture of good faith.’ She turned to Obi-Wan. ‘And to address your concerns, the laws are several decades old and I’m surprised the Jedi never mentioned it you, seeing as you’re all banned from their system,’ she added mildly.

Obi-Wan folded his arms and didn’t seem the least bit self-conscious about being called out. Maul sneered and started pacing the confines of her sitting room.

‘I’m taking a huge convoy and several platoons of the new clone troops. I’ll be fine,’ Padmé said.

Maul growled something unflattering about Force-nulls under his breath. Sometimes Padmé wondered if he simply kept forgetting that she was also a Force-null. 

‘I still don’t like it,’ Obi-Wan said.

‘Are you receiving a warning through the Force?’ Padmé asked.

Obi-Wan stared at her for a long moment before looking away. ‘No.’ By the way his expression was set, it obvious how much he wanted to say otherwise.

‘I’ll be back before you know it. I’ve survived for quite some time without Force-sensitive guards. Are you forgetting what happened with Palpatine?’

Maul took half a step toward her. ‘It is not just about your safety. It is about function. This is what we’re _for_ ,’ he said.

‘Speak for yourself,’ Obi-Wan muttered. 

Padmé sighed. It was an uphill battle convincing Maul that there weren’t any dire consequences for not being ‘useful’. ‘I’ve made my decision. I leave tomorrow.’

Maul stared at her for a moment before reluctantly inclining his head. ‘As the Empress wills it.’ 

Padmé snorted. She had learned that this was his passive-aggressive way of conceding to her, while making his real opinion clear. She looked over at Obi-Wan and raised an eyebrow.

He spread his arms. ‘It’s not like I can stop you. I am but a humble liaison for the Jedi Council, here only to advise the Empress.’

‘Alright, your disapproval is noted.’ She looked over at Maul. ‘Both of you.’ She went over to the door that led to her bedroom. ‘I’m going to bed now. You’re both welcome to join me for a send-off, if you’d like.’

Obi-Wan’s exasperated expression lasted for another heartbeat before he sighed, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. He walked up to her. ‘Of course I’d like to, even if this is the least subtle diversion you’ve ever attempted.’

Maul’s gaze had snapped up and he was looking at her intently. He approached more slowly though, as if he still wasn’t certain how welcome he’d be. 

Padmé slipped into her bedroom and left the door open. She felt perfectly at ease turning her back and disrobing. She heard a sharp intake of breath behind her and it was impossible to tell which of them it came from.

///

Days later Obi-Wan found Maul wandering through one of the palace’s hangar bays. After he’d proved himself during several assassination attempts, the guards were a lot happier about Maul’s presence and gave him much more freedom of movement. Obi-Wan had told the Jedi Council about this development, of course, but they seemed to trust him to keep an eye on the Sith.

Maul turned as soon as Obi-Wan entered the hangar. ‘What is it, Jedi?’

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. Maul seemed incapable of using his actual name. ‘Lately I’ve been able to sense your presence over half the palace,’ Obi-Wan said. 

Maul scowled at him. ‘I don’t need to hide anymore.’

‘True, but usually you don’t feel quite so angry and afraid.’

Maul’s scowl deepened. Okay, Obi-Wan would admit that he could have phrased that better. Maul was still incredibly touchy and Padmé was better at knowing the right way to phrase something. Obi-Wan’s usual irreverent manner wasn’t helpful in more delicate situations. It didn’t help that sometimes Maul _did_ respond well to banter.

Maul had turned away and was now inspecting the docked ships. Obi-Wan sighed and followed after him. ‘Wait,’ he said.

Maul spoke over him. ‘If they kill her, I’m stealing a ship and flying to that planet.’

‘To do _what_ , exactly?’ Obi-Wan said, exasperated. 

A slow smile spread across Maul’s face, baring his teeth. The flash of bloodlust through the Force spoke volumes about his intent.

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘That is a _terrible_ idea.’

‘Would you help me, Jedi?’ Maul asked. He seemed genuinely curious.

‘No, of course not.’

Maul stared at him for a long moment. ‘A Jedi would have to say no. The Empress’s Jedi, though…’ He shrugged, still watching Obi-Wan intently.

‘Still no,’ said Obi-Wan. ‘I actually came to talk to you about the way you attacked Kateenan when she brought food to your room last night.’

Maul’s gaze dropped and he turned away. ‘I was startled.’

‘Surely you could sense that she was no threat? Are your senses that clouded?’

‘I apologised.’

‘You Force-choked her!’

‘I didn’t damage her,’ Maul said. 

Obi-Wan sighed. ‘That’s really not the point. You’re on edge, and it’s bad enough that it’s affecting your actions. You can’t continue to attack civilians.’

Maul looked back up. ‘I’ll be more careful,’ he muttered. ‘Being around Force-nulls makes it easier to remember that they aren’t threats.’ He actually looked somewhat remorseful and, depressingly enough, this counted as progress.

‘Look, you’re clearly on edge without Padmé around, would you like to spar with me?’

Maul’s gaze snapped up and he grinned. ‘Yes. I would like that.’ He hesitated. ‘Does that mean I could have my saberstaff back? While you were there?’

Obi-Wan frowned. ‘No. It was destroyed. I don’t know what you did to those kyber crystals, but they were radiating dark side energy.’

‘I suspected,’ said Maul. He tilted his head. ‘I could show you what I did to the crystals, even teach you if you wanted.’

‘Ah yes, Sith techniques, like Jedi techniques, only with more addiction and pain. I’d be mad to refuse such a generous offer,’ Obi-Wan said dryly.

Maul snorted at him. ‘Do I get a Jedi lightsaber for sparring, then?’

‘I’d barely feel comfortable giving you a Padawan’s training lightsaber. We’ll just fight hand-to-hand.’

‘And with the Force,’ Maul added.

‘I shouldn’t actually be encouraging you to use the dark side. Wouldn’t you prefer just to fight physically and maybe learn some light side techniques later?’

‘Light side techniques, like Sith techniques only weaker,’ Maul said, his grin sharpening.

Obi-Wan sighed. ‘You are very lucky that the Council is letting Padmé handle you. The Force knows why,’ he added under his breath. ‘Alright, I know where we can find a training room where we won’t be disturbed.’

///

‘We’re dropping out of hyperspace in a few minutes, Empress,’ said Rex.

Padmé looked up from her datapad. ‘How far out from the planet will that be?’

‘Not too far. Their official checkpoint is at the edge of the system, so it’s about eight hours’ travel through realspace.’

‘Good, can you let me know about an hour before we hit their inner checkpoint?’

‘Yes Empress.’ 

‘Thank you, Rex.’ 

Rex gave a final nod before leaving. Apart from stringent laws regulating Force-users, Ramnos also had very strict border control measures. No ship was allowed to enter or leave hyperspace within the confines of the star-system and there were long-range scanners and realspace checkpoints to help enforce the laws.

Padmé went back to her datapad and re-read over the draft of proposals she’d bring before the Ramnosan parliament. Just outside the population limits of their system was a rich asteroid belt that housed a mining and fuel refining station. It was run by one of the megacorporations and there was a tangle of regulations and bureaucratic procedures in place that severely impacted Ramnos’s commerce. More concerning was the difficulties for pilots along the Trellen Trade Route. The megacorporation charged exorbitant prices for refuelling and edged out any competition by taking advantage of Ramnos’s border control legislation. 

To keep the Empire’s resource channels open, Padmé was looking to restructure some of the bureaucracy to give Ramnos a chance to push back the monopoly and facilitate new mining operations. Incidentally, she also wanted to increase traffic around Ramnos to improve the Trellen Trade Route. There were a lot of interests to balance and Ramnos itself had so far been… cagey about their position on the dissolution of the Republic and subsequent rise of the new Empire. A diplomatic mission would be the best way to reinforce ties to Ramnos and hopefully prevent any bad blood.

She was almost finished reviewing her notes when a percussive blast rocked the ship. Padmé dropped her datapad and leapt to her feet, drawing her blaster in one quick movement. Rex and a handful of troopers burst into the room.

‘Pirates!’ he shouted. 

Padmé gaped. ‘What kind of pirates are stupid enough to attack a convoy as big as ours?’ 

She couldn’t see Rex’s expression beneath his helmet, but his voice was grim. ‘The reckless kind. There are nearly two dozen small vessels and our destroyers are having a hard time targeting them. There’s a fire-fight on board the _Radiant VIII_ right now.’

‘We have to get to the bridge. Now,’ said Padmé.

Rex barked the order and the entire squadron formed up around her. To Padmé it seemed like a waste of time to be surrounded as they ran to the bridge. It slowed them all down. Then again the _Radiant VIII_ had been _boarded_. She would have expected pirates to do as much damage as possible to ships and then collect any cargo from the wreckage. But smaller vessels probably couldn’t even breach the hulls of their cruisers. These couldn’t have been ordinary pirates.

‘They know I’m here, don’t they?’ she asked Rex.

‘Seems that way,’ Rex replied steadily. ‘You noticed how odd this is, then.’

Padmé nodded. ‘They’re here for hostages and ransoming, not cargo and fuel.’

‘They’re probably here for _the_ hostage, the Empress herself. Or it might not be about the credits at all.’

Padmé grimaced. Their convoy should have been big enough to avoid this kind of thing. A handful of small vessels against the fleet surrounding the Empire’s flagship was madness. Unless they weren’t expecting to make it out alive. She was getting pretty tired of people desperate to destabilise the Empire at any cost.

They arrived on the bridge. Troopers and Empire officers were at the controls. The flagship’s weapons systems weren’t precise enough to target such small opponents and racks of their fighters had been launched. 

Rex strode forward to talk to a senior bridge commander. ‘I don’t like that the fighter launch is drawing focus and troops away from the ship itself. Has security been tightened around the main reactor and fuel stocks?’ he asked. 

Commander Souri nodded. ‘Yes, sir, that occurred to the general. We’ve also got patrols of trooper squadrons in all the major corridors. We’re expecting a boarding party.’

Rex nodded. ‘Good work.’ 

Souri hesitated, turning to Padmé. ‘It might be best if the Empress holed up in one of the cargo bays with a platoon. They’d be looking for you in your quarters… or here. Empress.’

Padmé inclined her head. ‘Thank you for your concern, but they’re likely to turn up here regardless and I don’t want to thin out our forces any more. If they took the bridge, it wouldn’t matter where I was hiding.’

Rex cleared his throat. ‘Permission to speak?’

Padmé blinked. ‘Of course, always speak your mind to me.’

‘Then with all due respect Empress,’ said Rex, ‘there’s no cover in here and if they come in that door, the first thing my troopers are going to do is form a line in front of you. If we go down to the cargo holds, there’ll be cover for everyone.’

Padmé scowled. ‘You’re not living shields.’ Rex shrugged. Padmé’s scowl deepened. ‘Alright. We’ll head down to the cargo bays. We can join up with a couple of the patrolling squadrons on the way.'

‘Yes, Empress,’ said Rex before raising his comm to coordinate the meet-up.

They filed out of the bridge and were halfway down the main corridor when they heard the sound of blaster fire. Padmé glanced at Rex. ‘A boarding party?’ she asked. 

Rex grabbed her arm and pulled her behind the nearest support strut. ‘Everyone fall back!’ he shouted into his comm. ‘Assume enemy action.’

The troopers dove for cover just as a group of heavily armed pirates came into view. They were a mix of species and as soon as they saw the troopers they opened fire. The clone squad returned fire before Rex could even give the order and the pirates fell back, taking cover behind the supports at the other end of the corridor.

Padmé was relived to see the attackers weren’t Ramnosans, and therefore unlikely to be privateers sending a message. The spread of species indicated pirates, or more likely mercenaries. It was possible that they’d been hired by the Ramnosans, but it was at least as likely that they hadn’t been.

Rex was pressed against Padmé’s side behind a strut. He barked an order to hold tight and wait for back up before turning to Padmé. ‘There’s a good few dozen of them, but nothing we can’t handle when the other squads arrive. They must have something else in reserve.’

‘Maybe they have explosives?’ Padmé hazarded.

Rex grunted. The combat was pretty balanced with so much cover. Everyone took pot-shots and few bolts hit on either side. It wouldn’t take that long for the other squadrons to arrive and at that point superior numbers would overwhelm the pirates. Just as Padmé was about to ask an ETA on the other squads, a droideka rolled out of a side-corridor and set up in front of the their attackers.

Rex swore as it opened fire. All the troopers pressed back against their cover as the droideka sprayed the corridor with its blasts. The pirates surged forward and started firing now that they had a shield and little enemy retaliation. 

‘Sure would be nice if we had some Jedi!’ Rex shouted. ‘We need to get behind it!’ 

Padmé took a deep breath. The droideka, moving slowly now that it had activated its shield, was lumbering down the corridor toward her and Rex. She must be the target. Her heart pounded at the thought, but she gave a fierce grin. If the droideka was coming for her, it would pass the rest of the squad and some of their troops could get behind it.

The droideka passed the first support strut where two of the troopers were huddling. It turned, firing at them.

‘No!’ Padmé shouted as her troopers were killed. Beside her, Rex swore viciously. ‘We can’t get behind it if it’s taking out anyone it passes!’ Padmé looked around wildly. She couldn’t stand here doing nothing while her people died to protect her. There was a slight bend in the corridor up ahead and Padmé’s heart sped as she realised what she could do. ‘There may be one way to get behind it,’ she said.

‘What?’ Rex had time to ask before Padmé broke cover and zigzagged across the corridor from strut to strut. 

Rex’s reflexes were exceptional and he broke cover a heartbeat later to get between Padmé and the droideka. She gritted her teeth, knowing there wasn’t time to argue it. As she’d expected, once she got out of range the droideka dropped its shield and rolled toward her, ignoring the troopers between it and its target. Padmé ran until she was behind the fifth strut and pressed back against it, panting. Rex fell in beside her. He was cradling one of his arms against his body and there was a streak of dark residue along his armour. 

‘You’re hit,’ Padmé said between gasps.

‘Not important. Don’t be so kriffing reckless! This is a fire-fight!’ 

‘Not important. The droideka’s ahead of your troops,’ Padmé replied. 

Rex looked like he wanted to retort, but he raised his comm instead. ‘Who’s behind the droideka? Everyone else lay down suppressing fire and give them a chance to get between it and the pirates. Stick a blaster through its shield and junk the thing.’

Padmé caught the faintest sound of affirmation from the rest of the squad. She shouldered her own blaster to help with the suppressing fire, though she was careful to keep mostly behind the strut with the way Rex was scowling at her. An explosion flashed in the corridor a moment later. There was cheering from the clone troopers and several of them rushed forward as the pirates broke and fled in the wake of their droideka’s destruction. A second new squad ran past Padmé and Rex to help. Padmé had just enough time to recognise the pattern on the sergeant’s armour before he ran past with his brothers.

Padmé took a moment to close her eyes as the adrenaline spike faded and left her body shaky. ‘Try and take prisoners. We need to know who sent them.’

‘Yes Empress,’ said Rex. She could hear the tight anger in his voice, even now.

‘I had to do it,’ she said.

‘If I can speak plainly?’ he asked.

Padmé hid a tired smile. He’d had no problem speaking plainly in the middle of a battle. ‘Of course.’

‘You could have been killed and that would have given the enemy exactly what they wanted. I know you don’t think we’re expendable, _but you’re not either_. You are the most important person in the Empire and you should start acting like it!’

‘So what should I have done?’ she demanded. 

‘Waited for more squads! Waited for anti-droid weapons! We’ve got to have at least a couple on the Imperial-kriffing-flagship. Not charge off recklessly and nearly get yourself hit!’

Padmé looked down. ‘I honestly didn’t think of that.’

‘Because you’re not a soldier,’ Rex said, his tone softening just a bit. ‘Next time, ask. I’d be happy to give you sensible orders to follow. Well, suggestions I guess,’ he added quickly.

‘No, orders,’ Padmé affirmed. ‘Next time I’m in a fire-fight, I’ll defer to your command.’

Rex let out a deep breath and some of the tension in his shoulders loosened too. ‘Good. Thank you.’ He tilted his helmeted head to one side. ‘That may have been irresponsible for the Empress, but it _was_ brave and if you’d been one of my men, I’d have given you a medal.’

The tension of the battle left her all at once and Padmé laughed. If it sounded a little strained in the wake of all the death, Rex was kind enough not to mention it.

///

‘Well I liked that she was right there firing alongside us. Almost like a brother.’

Fives gave Slick an odd look. ‘You’ve never been on one of these diplomatic missions before, have you?’ he asked.

Slick lifted his chin. ‘This is my first time, so what?’

‘I know why you think soldiering is the most important thing. I feel it too, but you might get a better idea of why the Empress is important outside of a fire-fight on this mission.’

‘I know why the Empress is important,’ Slick huffed. The rest of the platoon was ignoring the bickering sergeants. It wasn’t uncommon for tempers to flare in the wake of combat and if it turned into a fistfight, well that was one way to release the tension.

‘Really, because from where I’m standing I don’t think you do. You remember all the choices we got, about the Empire supporting us even if we didn’t want to be soldiers?’

‘For the cowards, you mean,’ Wolffe muttered off to Fives’s left.

‘Yes, I get it,’ said Slick. ‘We wouldn’t have had those options if the Empress wasn’t such a nice person. I know.’

Fives’s expression hardened and he pointed at Slick. ‘No, you don’t get it. We wouldn’t have those options if the _Empire_ didn’t exist. No matter how nice the Empress wanted to be, if she didn’t have the authority and the resources, we would have all been drafted without a choice or thrown out to fend for ourselves. Can imagine if we’d been given over to some dinky backwater planet with half a government? It’d be galactic war with us on the front line. Be thankful that the Empress cares enough to give us options and shoot a blaster beside us, but be a lot more thankful that she keeps the peace. If she gets hit there’s suddenly a lot more uncertainty in the galaxy. For _all_ of us.’

Slick dropped his gaze and folded his arms. ‘Okay, I get it.’

Rex entered the barracks before Fives could reply and everyone formed up in front of him. ‘All right soldiers,’ said Rex, ‘well done during that little piece of excitement. We lost half a squadron and Echo and Hardcase are in Medical. They’re stable, but Hardcase might need a new hand after blasting a droideka so close by. We’re still getting reports from the other ships.’

A few of the troopers in the back ranks shifted where they stood, but Fives breathed out a slow exhale.

‘Regardless, we’ll be docking in another two hours once the right documents get swapped. Everyone buff up your armour, I want you to look parade-ready because we are now the representatives of Empress Amidala and the whole kriffing Empire. And a little shock and awe never hurts. Get to it.’

They all got out their cleaning kits once Rex had left. More than a few of them complained about it, but Fives had been on enough diplomatic missions to get it. The rules of the diplomacy game looked pointless a lot of the time, but there wasn’t a way to opt out of it when everyone else insisted on playing. Besides, if he finished quickly enough, he might get a chance to visit Medical.

///

Maul glanced around the training room, noting the equipment lined up against the far wall and the large open area with soft mats taking the majority of the room’s space. He walked over to the benches fixed to the left wall and took off his outer robes and tunic so that he was bared to the waist. It had been a long time since he’d sparred with just his body and he didn’t want his movement restricted.

The Jedi had removed his lightsaber and his outer layer, but not much else. He was staring at Maul with an odd expression. Maul ignored him and started stretching, before running through some simple katas to loosen his muscles. It had been too long since he’d last had someone on his level to fight. 

Maul grunted in satisfaction once his movements lost their rough edges and his body started obeying him properly. He turned and found that the Jedi hadn’t been running through any of his own katas and had been watching instead. It was sensible. The Jedi was probably in better condition and getting a sense of an opponent’s style was important. 

Still, the Jedi’s intense focus was unnerving, Maul reminded himself that this was a training bout and the Jedi probably didn’t intend to be threatening. Maul was gradually realising a lot of the body language cues from the Jedi, and even the Empress, weren’t couched in Dathomirian terms. 

‘Alright, Jedi, are you ready to face me?’

‘Leaving aside the drama of your invitation, yes.’ 

The Jedi drew closer and started to circle to Maul’s left flank. Maul turned the barest amount to keep the Jedi in his sight. It was hard to decide if he should try and hide his emotions and intentions or try and be as loud as possible to overwhelm the Jedi’s senses. His training with Sidious had only ever emphasised quiet and hiding, but his former master was a Sith and not so easily overwhelmed by emotional noise.

While Maul was considering this, the Jedi lunged forward and kicked him squarely in the ribs. Maul growled. There had been no change in the Jedi’s serene signature to broadcast the action. Maul let the mild pain wash through him and augmented it with anger at his failure and at the Jedi’s success. He swept out his foot to trip the Jedi, then rammed his fist into the flesh below the Jedi’s shoulder while he was off-balance with his dodge. The blow connected, but the Jedi turned with the strike to shed some of the impact. 

‘This didn’t just turn into an unfriendly bout, did it?’ the Jedi asked as he moved back a step or two.

Maul growled again. ‘No.’

‘Well that’s good. I suppose you’d try and summon my lightsaber off the bench if you wanted to kill me.’

Maul’s eyes slid toward the lightsaber for a moment. The Jedi darted in and punched him in the stomach while he was distracted. Maul grunted at the blow and almost decided to summon the dark side’s power. He refrained at the last moment because he wanted a physical victory. That would be much more satisfying. 

Maul sprang forward and ducked under the Jedi’s next punch, grabbing his opponent’s wrist and twisting. He didn’t follow through though, so he wouldn’t break the Jedi’s wrist. A heartbeat later the Jedi kicked out at Maul’s knee, breaking his grip anyway. Maul was forced to pivot and dodge. With a snarl, he leapt off the mat and spun, aiming a strong kick to the cluster of nerves just below the Jedi’s right arm. The blow struck true and the Jedi winced. Then he struck out with his left, taking Maul off-guard again. He hadn’t given any indication of his intent and he struck just as hard with his left. Maul was impressed as he leapt back; he was barely able to avoid the full force of the Jedi’s strike.

The Jedi gave no room for respite and darted forward on the chase. Maul flung out his arm on pure instinct to throw the Jedi back. Dark side power welled up with a spike of battle-rage and the Jedi was tossed back a few steps. He’d rallied his own Force-defence though, and didn’t hit the wall the way a Force-null would have. 

Maul couldn’t follow up with more dark side power while his battle-instincts were running so high in case he did real damage. Instead he charged forward. The Jedi was ready for it and threw him over his hip. Maul rolled and flipped up, turning in time to block the Jedi’s next strike. He felt the Jedi drawing on the light side, but there was no forthcoming attack. Maul drew on the dark side to try and disrupt whatever the Jedi was planning, but the attack in the Force never came. 

It meant he was distracted when the Jedi rushed him again. He dodged the punch, but his legs were swept out from under him and he crashed down. The Jedi was on him in a moment and they kicked and rolled, each trying to gain advantage until they crashed into the bench. 

The Jedi recovered first, grabbing Maul’s arm and locking it behind his back. It meant Maul couldn’t break the pin with the Force, not without dislocating his shoulder. He gritted his teeth and waited for the Jedi to twist his arm, not to break it, but to force him to accept the defeat properly.

The pain never came, and instead the Jedi leaned down. His breath tickled against the shell of Maul’s ear.

‘Give up?’ the Jedi asked. 

‘And if I don’t?’ Maul asked cautiously. He wasn’t going to beg, not without substantial pain.

‘Then we stay like this, I suppose,’ the Jedi replied. ‘Suit yourself. I’m certainly enjoying the view.’

Maul blinked. ‘You’re enjoying having me pinned? I wouldn’t expect that from a Jedi.’

The Jedi chuckled and Maul shivered at the sensation against his ear. ‘Well, it isn’t that far from some of the things we’ve done in bed.’ He wasn’t wrong. This sort of close contact between them only really happened during sex, though Maul couldn’t remember being pinned by anyone other than the Empress.

‘True,’ Maul conceded.

The Jedi sighed. ‘It’s impossible to be subtle with you, isn’t it? I was wondering if you’d like to have sex.’

Maul blinked again and was surprised by the rush of heat the Jedi’s words stirred. ‘The Empress isn’t here,’ he pointed out reasonably.

The Jedi paused. ‘Yes… but the three of us did have that conversation. You were there.’

Maul’s brow furrowed. He remembered a strange conversation they’d had with the Empress after she had chosen both of them. The Jedi had been talking about attachment as usual and the Empress had said something about the Jedi and him sorting themselves out together if they liked. Then there had been a confusing moment where she’d asked what _they_ both thought about what _she_ did. The Jedi had said some more things about attachment and Maul had pointed out that the Empress could do as she pleased. Obviously.

Maul made an irritated noise. The Jedi seemed to enjoy being obtuse. ‘If the Empress isn’t here, what’s the point?’ he asked slowly and clearly.

The Jedi barked a laugh. ‘Oh, please don’t spare my fragile ego. I thought you enjoyed the things we did in bed.’ He released Maul’s arm and stood. Maul flexed his shoulder and slowly got to his feet, ready to defend himself if the Jedi decided to resume the fight. 

‘I enjoy what we do, Jedi, but we serve the Empress. That’s what males are _for_.’

The Jedi was giving him a very odd look. ‘You know, you are allowed to want things for your own sake. Padmé is invested in looking after you too.’

Maul looked down. ‘The Empress is kind,’ he muttered.

The Jedi stared at him for another long moment. His expression was impossible to read. ‘Forgetting for a moment that you’re an agent of the Empress, would _you_ like to?’

This time Maul stared while he considered the question. The Jedi was undeniably appealing. There was power in him, even if it was light side, and he’d proved his strength and use. Attractive males were ones that could fight well and the Jedi could certainly fight. Beyond these obvious things, the softness of human skin and the abundance of hair still caught Maul’s attention. Humans were interesting and the contrast of physical vulnerability against fighting prowess was… intriguing.

Maul took a step forward, pleased when the Jedi held his ground. The instincts for fighting were still at the forefront of Maul’s mind and the fact that this was another male meant that they persisted. Males fought, but this would be something not quite the same. He met the Jedi’s gaze. ‘Yes, I would like to. But not here.’

The Jedi snorted. ‘No, I wasn’t proposing the middle of a training room. Your rooms or mine?’

A slow smile spread across Maul’s face. ‘Mine.’

The Jedi swallowed. ‘Alright.’

///

Obi-Wan tried to be subtle as he eyed Maul’s room. It was very… austere. There was a bed against one wall and a desk beneath a window with a datapad almost centred on the desk. There was an aesthetic display screen on one wall with the sort of landscape scene that was currently fashionable on Coruscant, but no other ornaments or personal effects. When he stopped scrutinising the room, he noticed that Maul was leaning against the doorjamb and watching him carefully.

‘Nice room,’ said Obi-Wan. ‘It’s very you.’

Maul cocked his head. ‘It is the Empress’s will that I remain here.’

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair. It was difficult with Maul, trying to parse how much of his behaviour was ingrained from his Sith training, how much was zabrak, and how much was a vanishingly rare glimpse of his sense of humour. ‘And do you… like it here?’

Maul shrugged. ‘I like it that people knock.’

Obi-Wan snorted. ‘That’s good. It means I’ll have some confidence in you closing the door.’

A smile flickered across Maul’s face and was gone a moment later. He closed the door behind him though, and took a coupe of steps into the room. His gaze was steady and nearly unblinking and his stance hadn’t quite shed its combat-readiness. 

Obi-Wan unclipped his lightsaber and placed it on the desk beside the datapad. Maul tracked the movement and relaxed minutely once Obi-Wan was unarmed. Almost immediately, Maul closed the distance between them until they were nearly chest-to-chest. Obi-Wan stopped himself from taking a step back. In his experience, there was usually a gradual move toward sharing space with a partner, rather than a sudden shift from aggressive tension to looming intimacy. But he wasn’t about to be put off, especially since Maul wasn’t giving any indication that he was doing it on purpose. 

‘Well it’s good to know you’re not having second thoughts,’ said Obi-Wan.

‘I’m still interested, though this is strange to me.’

Obi-Wan bit back the impulse to explain how strange it was for him, sleeping with a Sith who had bizarre concepts of social conduct. ‘If there’s anything I can do to make it less strange, you can tell me,’ he said instead.

Maul nodded. ‘You didn’t take off any garments when we sparred. I’d like to see you bared.’ He reached out, hesitated for a moment, and then ran his hand down Obi-Wan’s shoulder and arm, plucking at the cloth of the robe. Maul tilted his head, his expression considering.

Obi-Wan couldn’t help giving a wry smile at the strange uncertainty Maul was displaying. It was so different to his blustering manner during their sparring session. ‘That’s a fair point,’ said Obi-Wan. He drew back far enough to avoid elbowing Maul while he unbuckled his belt and pulled off his tunic.

Maul watched him closely, his gaze drifting to the flashes of bare skin that were gradually revealed. Obi-Wan wasn’t particularly self-conscious, had never really considered his body much one way or the other, but having that unblinking focus centred on him was intense. 

When he was bared to the waist, Maul stepped forward again. His gaze flicked up to Obi-Wan’s face and back down to his chest. ‘You can touch, if you like,’ Obi-Wan offered, raising an eyebrow. 

Maul nodded. ‘Good.’ He ran his hands down Obi-Wan’s shoulders and arms, stopping in the middle of the biceps and squeezing lightly. The hesitancy was back and his gaze kept flicking back up to Obi-Wan’s face, as if looking for clues.

‘Is there something wrong?’ Obi-Wan asked. 

‘No. Just that you’re quiet and hard to read.’

That was understandable. Obi-Wan was used to the presence of other Jedi and how serene they felt in the Force. Whenever Maul dropped his shielding he was a comparative maelstrom of emotion. And wasn’t that just part of the fascination? 

‘That's part of being a Jedi,’ said Obi-Wan.

‘I know,’ Maul replied. ‘It’s a challenge.’

‘I don’t think I’ve ever been called a challenge before.’

An elusive smile tugged at the corner of Maul’s lips. ‘You are. You’re strong, a good fighter.’ Obi-Wan was almost flattered despite himself. Maul’s tone was just so matter-of-fact. ‘You’re less proficient in the Force though. Wasteful, like all the Jedi.’

‘Proficient enough to beat you in a sparring match,’ Obi-Wan pointed out.

‘Sparring doesn’t count. I have to fight not to go for the kill, which makes it harder for me.’

‘That sounds an awful lot like an excuse made up after the fact.’

Maul’s smile sharpened into something more predatory and he dragged a hand down Obi-Wan’s chest, his fingertips just skimming the outside of a nipple. ‘Hope that you never find out, Jedi.’

Even a month ago Obi-Wan would have taken that as a threat, now he was almost sure it was an example of Maul’s off-centre humour. He tugged on Maul’s dark robes until they were close enough to share breath. ‘What I’m actually hoping for is another demonstration of how quickly _you_ can get out of your robes.’ He let go of Maul and stepped back, raising an eyebrow.

Maul blinked, caught off balance. Then he started shedding his robes, muttering something about a challenge. Unlike Obi-Wan, he stripped down completely, leaving the mass of dark cloth to pool on the floor of his bedroom.

Obi-Wan stepped forward again and ran his hands over Maul’s solid shoulders before skimming them down the trails of black ink that swirled across his chest. He knew that these were Sith tattoos, that they had meaning and perhaps even power. On rare occasions they’d register in the Force with a faint pulse of dark side energy. Even so, they were beautiful, the swirls of black against red drawing the eye.

‘How long did these take?’ Obi-Wan asked. ‘Some of these larger blocks must have had you under the needle for days.’

Maul’s attention sharpened at the question, where before he’d been absently running a hand through Obi-Wan’s hair. ‘Hm? There were no needles. These are Sith tattoos, not Dathomirian. My former master painted them on my body and set them with the Force.’

Obi-Wan pulled back. ‘I didn’t know the Force could do that.’

‘It’s a dark side technique. I don’t know how well a Jedi would stand the process.’

‘Do they still hurt?’

Maul shrugged. ‘Sometimes. Mostly when I need them to.’ Obi-Wan pulled his hand away, but Maul grabbed it lightly and placed it back on his chest. ‘Nothing you do influences the pain and I like the touch. I think I feel it in the Force, sometimes.’

Obi-Wan sighed. ‘Possibly. I don’t know how the light side interacts with,’ he ran a hand down one swirl that arced across Maul’s chest and ended at his hip, ‘all this.’

Maul growled under his breath and grabbed at Obi-Wan’s hips in response. His hands flexed and Obi-Wan doubted it was a conscious action. Maul gave a considering look, his gaze dropping from Obi-Wan’s eyes to his lips. In some ways it was easier to interpret Maul’s actions and gestures than it was to have a conversation. Obi-Wan tilted his head slightly and leaned in. Maul responded to the invitation as rapidly and instinctively as when they’d sparred. 

His lips were warm and they brushed gently against Obi-Wan’s. It wasn’t quite hesitant, but it was definitely careful. He kissed Padmé the same way, though there was usually a hint of fear in him at the start of their encounters. He didn’t feel afraid now, and his shields were low enough that Obi-Wan could get a clear read on that. 

Obi-Wan parted his lips to flick his tongue into Maul’s mouth. It earned him a low sigh in response and Maul’s hand came up to hold the back of his head. It was easy enough to recognise Maul’s interest in hair. He often ended up running his fingers through whatever hair he could reach and his reaction to the brush of it against his bare skin was seldom subtle.

Obi-Wan trailed his lips to the corner of Maul’s mouth and kissed down the side of his jaw, scraping his beard against the side of Maul’s face. Maul made a breathy noise and his hand tightened against the back of Ob-Wan’s head and pulled him closer. 

After a moment, Obi-Wan switched back to Maul’s mouth. The kiss deepened as Maul’s lips had parted beneath his. This time when Obi-wan used his tongue, Maul coaxed it into his mouth and sucked on it. He kept his teeth well clear and a shiver ran down Obi-Wan’s spine. 

Obi-Wan pulled back from the kiss to give himself room to sink to his knees. They’d never really done this, but Obi-Wan was willing to bet that having a partner, a Jedi no less, on his knees, would appeal to Maul. He put his hand over one of Maul’s and placed it on the back of his head, smirking at the way the grip instantly tightened in his hair. Maul was staring down at him with a heated look in his eyes. His tongue swiped over his lips in what looked like an unconscious movement.

Obi-Wan placed a kiss on Maul’s thigh, feeling the tension in the muscle beneath his lips. He gave Maul’s hard cock a couple of strokes with his hand, smirking at the breathless sound it earned him. Then he trailed his lips across Maul’s thigh and took the head of his cock in his mouth, sucking gently. He was utterly surprised when Maul jerked his head back by the hair.

‘No,’ said Maul. 

Obi-Wan looked up with his brow furrowed. ‘Is something wrong?’ 

Maul met his gaze steadily. ‘I don’t think I want your mouth like that.’

There could be a lot of reasons for Maul’s reluctance and Obi-Wan didn’t trust himself to ask the right questions without it sounding like he was trying to force the issue. Though it was extremely tempting to joke that he wouldn’t bite unless Maul asked nicely. 

‘Alright, is there something you’d prefer?’ Obi-Wan asked instead.

Maul’s tilted his head, his gaze fixed on Obi-Wan at his feet. ‘The touching was nice.’

Obi-Wan considered his options. This wasn’t the best angle for a handjob. He got to his feet and Maul let go of his hair with some obvious reluctance. 

‘The bed’s probably a better place for this,’ Obi-Wan pointed out. 

Maul nodded and stalked over to it. He waited until Obi-Wan finished taking off his clothes and walked over before pulling them both down. They shifted awkwardly on the undersized mattress until they were half-sitting, half lying down. Maul ended up with his back to the wall and Obi-Wan almost in his lap. 

‘How about this?’ Obi-Wan asked, before licking his palm and pressing closer until he could wrap a hand around both their cocks. Maul gave a pleased growl and grabbed at Obi-Wan’s shoulders. His nails were sharp, but he wasn’t digging them in too hard. ‘Yes, it’s good.’

The slide of Maul’s cock against his sent sparks of pleasure down Obi-Wan’s nerves. Maul’s flesh was hot in his hand, warmer than human-standard. This close and intimate, Obi-Wan could feel Maul in the Force and the torrent of uninhibited feeling. When he wasn’t bothering to hide his Force-signature, Maul’s emotions filled the room and he was gratifyingly responsive to even the lightest touch.

Even with this substantial distraction, Maul glanced down at where Obi-Wan was pressing them together and curled his own hand over the top. Maul’s grip was also very warm. He increased the pace and Obi-Wan adapted at once, speeding his own strokes to match the new rhythm. He dropped his head forward to rest against Maul’s shoulder, barely registering the resultant shudder as his hair brushed against Maul’s bare skin.

Maul’s breath ghosted against Obi-Wan’s neck as he panted. Pleasure was curling tight in his belly and it was getting difficult to separate his own feelings from Maul’s considerably louder ones. Part of it was the type of sex. The sensations both of them were feeling were so similar with hot hands moving slickly over sensitive flesh. 

Maul’s other hand had come up to hold the back of Obi-Wan’s neck. The flashes of feeling behind it were hard to parse, but there was something like closeness in it, or maybe anchoring. Though the element of threat wasn’t strictly intentional, Obi-Wan could tell how hyperaware Maul was of how close his nails were to Obi-Wan’s pulse-point. 

Acting on impulse, Obi-Wan turned his head to gently mouth at the side of Maul’s neck. The rhythm of Maul’s hand faltered for a brief moment before he started stroking faster. His hand tensed on the back of Obi-Wan’s neck, but it was definitely to hold him closer. 

The feeling of pleasure grew and Maul’s hips started bucking upward, not that he could get much leverage with Obi-Wan half-sprawled over his lap. Obi-Wan sped up his strokes one more time and Maul arched into it, giving a hoarse cry as he came. Obi-Wan could feel Maul’s cock pulse against his, the sensation sending a shiver through him. Maul pulled away almost immediately, too sensitive for continued contact.

Obi-Wan was close and wrapped his hand more tightly around his own cock, but before he could move Maul placed his hand on top of his, stilling the movement. ‘Let me,’ he said, his gaze locked onto Obi-Wan’s. There wasn’t any glassiness to his expression, even post-orgasm, and his golden eyes were sharp and hungry. 

Obi-Wan groaned and slid his hand out from under Maul’s. Maul gave him a sharp smile in response and started stroking fast, though that strange edge of gentleness was back again. It didn’t take long. The pleasure that had been building in him peaked and Obi-Wan spilled over Maul’s hand. He clutched at Maul’s shoulders and gave a sharp cry, his hips jerking up against that warm grip. Maul kept touching and Obi-Wan was grateful for it. He didn’t get quite as over-sensitised and he shuddered as random sparks of pleasure chased down his nerves in the aftermath. 

Eventually Maul let go and brought his soiled hand up to his face. His tongue swept along one of his fingers and he made a contemplative noise. Obi-Wan’s cock twitched, even though he’d just come.

‘Similar,’ Maul announced and wiped his hand against the corner of his sheets.

Obi-Wan felt a smile tugging at his lips. ‘I suspected as much.’

///

Padmé was impressed by how quickly the clone troopers had recovered from the skirmish. Their ranks had been redistributed to hide any of the casualties and they moved in perfect lock-step, forming tight groups that must have looked impressive to the Ramnosans. She disliked all the pomp and the necessity of a show of force, but she’d been a politician long enough to understand the importance of the effect. The absence of Obi-Wan and Maul at her side was surprisingly keen, even if Rex’s presence was solid and reassuring. 

The rest of her immediate retinue was made up of a handful of diplomats. None of them held crucial command roles within the Empire, but all were seasoned diplomats and cultural attachés. They had also been strategically selected to represent some of the diverse interests within the Empire. A good half of them were former senators of the Republic. 

As she exited the flagship and moved between the ranks of her soldiers, the welcoming delegation of Ramnosans came forward to greet them. Padmé recognised the High Minister of the Ramnos parliament. Most of the other delegates were strangers, though here and there Padmé picked out other major players from the comprehensive dossiers she’d been studying. The leader of the parliament’s main opposing faction was present, which Padmé always took as a good sign of a healthy government. 

The High Minister stepped forward alone and Padmé followed suit, leaving Rex a few paces behind her. It was a show of trust, a balance of power. Everything was very civilised. ‘Greetings, Empress Amidala. It is good to finally meet you in person. Welcome to Ramnos, and please accept the hospitality of our world,’ the High Minister said in faintly accented Basic.

The greeting was fairly standard between system-leaders. The use of her title was promising too. ‘And my greetings to you, High Minister Thral’kik. I gratefully accept your hospitality on behalf of my people,’ she gestured subtly to encompass the entirety of her escort, both the diplomatic and the military. Then she said the carefully memorised phrase in Ramnos’s official language. It was a standard greeting phrase translating roughly to ‘I’m please to meet you here on this bright day’ and Padmé managed not to stumble over the harsh syllables and clicks that were better suited to Ramnos physiology than human.

Minister Thral’kik’s crest lifted in a pleased expression. ‘That’s pretty good! You need to make the OA vowel more guttural, but your rhythm was great.’

Padmé smiled. ‘Thank you, Minister.’ She’d yet to meet a person from any species that didn’t enjoy correcting her accent. Over the years, it had become her go-to icebreaker for establishing contact with a new leader or diplomat.

///

As usual, there was some respite before official negotiations took place. The large formal gatherings were a chance for the major players to meet and talk without the pressure of recording equipment and rehearsed speeches. This was the last evening before Padmé would enter negotiations with the heads of all the major Ramnosan political parties. Few people on either side were indulging in intoxicants tonight, despite the platters of drinks and food being born around the room by the Ramnosan staff.

It would be a longer day for the Ramnosans of course. For whatever reason, diplomatic negotiations were always followed up by a session of parliament, meaning that all the politicians would be pulling double-duty tomorrow. Padmé didn’t envy them, thinking of how hoarse she’d get during protracted Senate hearings. Despite Padmé’s mixed feelings about the Empire’s rule, at least it managed to move faster and more efficiently than the Republic had. If only she could be more certain that the decisions she was making as an absolute ruler were good ones.

Padmé’s full diplomatic retinue was in attendance, gathering information and assessing the state of the politics. There’d be a long debrief after this last party. There were only a few clone troopers in attendance, though. Rex was ranked highly enough to be halfway between a bodyguard and an attendee in his own right. He didn’t seem comfortable making small talk with lower-ranking members of parliament and his stiff responses were looking more and more uncomfortable. Padmé made a note to introduce him to the Minister for the military. One never knew the sort of things that could be learnt when soldiers started chatting. 

Aside from Rex, Padmé had brought no one higher-ranked than a sergeant. Even helmetless, they were definitely around for security reasons and mostly succeeded at fading into the background. It was a comfort having several sets of familiar eyes scanning for threats, even if Padmé was reasonably sure there’d be no trouble during a diplomatic function like this. She was currently engaged with the leader of the opposing Progressive Party, Low Minister Iksial. 

‘Of course you have the support of every member of my party, Empress. The Progressives want what you want,’ Iksial was saying. ‘But it simply won’t be enough if you can’t convince Minister Thral’kik and the rest of her Conservatives. Our border-control laws haven’t changed in decades.’

Padmé took a sip from her drink, considering. ‘The issue of the megacorp refinery in your asteroid belt is a bipartisan issue, though?’

Iksial’s crest flattened against her head. ‘Oh yes. Unfortunately the megacorp holds all the bargaining power there. The agreement was signed a long time ago, before we had the resources to build our own refinery outpost.’

‘In your estimate, how badly do the Conservatives want leverage with the megacorp?’

Iksial took her time answering. ‘It depends. Thral’kik built her platform around economic issues, but she has a large coalition block with the Traditionalist Party, and they care a lot more about our borders.’

Padmé’s eyes scanned the room. ‘Who’s the leader of the Traditionalist Party?’

‘That would be Raksin. He’s over there, by the left table. Green and yellow plumage.’ Iksial gestured subtly with her hand.

Padmé spared a glance toward the left table but turned back as soon as she registered the green and yellow of Minister Raksin. ‘How strong is his party?’

‘Not strong enough to stop you if you get the Conservatives and Progressives to agree to your proposal, but he’ll be the main thing stopping Thral’kik from going with your proposal in the first place. She’s a good High Minister and tries to keep the power balance of her constituents.’

Padmé raise an eyebrow. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard a political rival say something that complimentary about the current leader to an outsider before,’ she said lightly, testing the waters.

Iksial’s crest lifted. ‘Welcome to Ramnos, then, Empress. Besides, it’s not like you get to vote for her,’ she added with a wink.

Padmé lifted her glass in response. Over the next few minutes she gradually extricated herself from the conversation, while keeping an eye on Minister Raksin. When it looked like he was mostly free, Padmé wandered over. She noticed the way her sergeants shifted their positions in response to her movements. They were very protective, even in a situation where it was probably unnecessary. 

‘Minister Raksin, I presume,’ Padmé said, holding out her hand with the palm facing inwards. 

Raksin brushed the back of her hand with his, the short feathers an odd tickle against her skin. ‘Yes. And you are our guest of honour tonight. Have you had something to eat yet?’

Padmé inclined her head. ‘I have, Minister, but is there something you’d recommend?’ The place of food in the Ramnosan hospitality tradition was paramount. Letting someone select a dish for you to eat from was a strong mark of respect.

Raksin nodded and clacked his beak thoughtfully. ‘You’d likely enjoy the bread fruit prepared with dyal cream.’ He gestured toward the table. Padmé selected one of the brown squares with swirls of a lurid green paste. It was quite tasty. Raksin took one and ate it too, another gesture of trust. ‘I suspect you’re here to discuss the upcoming negotiations.’

Padmé blinked, a little surprised that a Traditionalist would come to the point so directly. ‘You’re correct, Minister.’

‘Good. I don’t believe in waffling about things. Whatever else you offer Ramnos, I know you’re looking to increase traffic around our system, aren’t you?’

‘I am.’

He nodded. ‘Controlling our own airspace is about more than just regulating traffic. It’s about independence and preserving our culture, instead of just becoming one more port-system along the Trellen Route. You can understand why we’re wary about a newly crowned “Empress” throwing her weight around and upsetting balances that have existed for centuries.’

Padmé didn’t let her disquiet show. ‘I am aware of Ramnos’s proud history of independence and I’m not looking to infringe on that. Even an outsider like me can see how unfair the issue of the asteroid refinery is, both to pilots on the Trellen Route and to Ramnos itself.’

Raksin’s crest flared in obvious irritation. ‘Be that as it may, your interests are in direct opposition to our independence and I don’t look forward to seeing what form the Empire’s negotiations will take now that you have a slave-army to back up your proposals.’

Padmé had known the topic of the clone troopers would come up sooner or later. Many systems, even citizens of the Empire were uncomfortable with the military might the clones represented and few people had had the opportunity to talk to them and learn that they weren’t just organic droids. Before Padmé could explain the situation, the sergeant who’d been standing behind her stepped forward.

‘We are _not_ a slave-army! Empress Amidala gave each and every one of us the chance to get out of the military and retrained in any field we wanted, all on the Empire’s credit. Maybe go read a file before you start throwing around bantha-fodder.’

Padmé closed her eyes for a brief moment. As much as she appreciated hearing her clones’ uncensored viewpoints, yelling at an important diplomatic contact wouldn’t help anyone.

‘Shut-up, Slick,’ hissed another sergeant. Padmé caught a glimpse of Fives grabbing Slick by the elbow and pulling him back toward a corner of the room.

‘Did you hear what he said?!’ Slick demanded. 

‘I heard it and I’m going to let the Empress handle it. She has actual training and doesn’t just run her mouth off,’ Fives replied in an undertone.

Raksin’s gaze was trained on the troopers, but he looked back at her after they’d left. His crest had settled down somewhat. ‘Well that was interesting.’

Padmé coughed into her hand. ‘Soldiers tend to be rather… passionate in my experience. Please forgive the outburst.’

Raksin waved the apology away. ‘Don’t think this changes my opinions on system traffic, but you have given me something to think about for tomorrow.’

///

Padmé finished her speech and let the polite applause wash over her. She sat back down and nodded at the members of her retinue as they murmured congratulations. It had been years since she’d defeated the outward signs of nervousness when she spoke before a political assembly. Her hands were steady and her breathing was even, despite the flutter in the pit of her stomach. Every major speech she gave had the weight of her passions behind it and it still affected her inside, even now. 

Thral’kik rose and the room fell silent. ‘Opponents to the proposal, stand,’ she commanded. Raksin stood immediately and after a moment so did Thral’kik’s own minister for the planet’s military. Padmé held her breath, but no other ministers stood. ‘Minister Raksin, the floor is yours.’

The Military Minster nodded in Raksin’s direction and sat. Raksin drew himself up and started delivering his speech. He was a good orator, though his words were blunt and clear in a way that seemed odd in a parliamentary setting, even if Padmé was half-expecting it.

There were a lot of nods from the Conservatives, even outside of the Traditionalist block, and as he spoke Padmé tried to count the number of people who appeared to agree.

There were more applause after Raksin sat and Thral’kik asked for opponents to his arguments to stand. This time Iksial stood along with Thral’kik’s Economics Minister and another Low Minister that Padmé hadn’t had a chance to speak with yet. The speeches went back and fourth for a long time and there were very few interruptions. It wasn’t at all like the old Senate hearings Padmé was used to, but everyone got their say, with control of the floor alternating between both sides of the debate each time. Naturally this took a long time. Padmé tried to contain her impatience. 

What was particularly interesting was that a particular minister would occasionally argue both sides of the debate. The Military Minister who’d stood against her initially eventually stood _with_ the Progressives and explained the advantages of having their own asteroid refinery. 

Finally Thral’kik stood one last time. ‘If there are no more opinions to be heard?’ she asked and paused for a moment in case anyone wanted to stand. No one did. Padmé clenched her hands beneath her desk. ‘Then we vote.’

Despite her concern over the issue, the process ran smoothly as far as Padmé could tell. The Progressives voted in her favour and most of the smaller parties followed their lead. Iksial briefly tilted her head in Padmé’s direction during her party’s vote and Padmé returned the gesture. 

Thral’kik’s crest lifted when she addressed her own party. ‘Minister Raksin, would your party like to vote as a member of the Conservative Coalition or as the Traditionalists?’ she asked after a moment of hesitation.

Raksin’s sharp gaze swept through the parliamentary hall, settling briefly on Padmé, before returning to Thral’kik. ‘You’ve made your decision then, High Minister?’ he asked quietly.

Thral’kik gestured toward her ministers for the military and the economy. Neither of them were looking in Raksin’s direction. ‘My hands are bound. You and the Cultural Low Minister are the only ones standing in opposition.’

‘The Traditionalists will vote as their own party,’ Raksin said.

Thral’kik nodded and gave her party the opportunity to vote. When they sided with the Progressives, Thral’kik ruled in favour of Padmé’s intervention. Together the Progressives and Conservatives easily outvoted the Traditionalists. Relief and warmth spread through Padmé. The Trellen Trade Route would be expanded, providing the resources her new Empire needed. Iksial tilted her head in Padmé’s direction, her expression pleased. Padmé gave a small smile in response before Thral’kik invited her to stand once again. ‘If you wished to give a short speech summarising your proposal, Empress?’

Padmé knew this was only about appearances at this point. The exact nature of their agreement would be hammered out in the coming months, mostly through policy makers on Ramnos and key diplomats in the Empire. Nonetheless, she wasn’t about to give up the opportunity to ease the minds of any Ramnosans who might be bitter about losing. ‘For years Ramnos has been a powerful and developed system. The megacorp that entered into a mutually beneficial arrangement back when you were a fledgling system must be brought to account now that the situation has changed. I promise to bring to bear the full bargaining power of the Empire against them and negotiate a deal that will benefit your people, my people, and the traders who navigate your space.’

The applause was a lot louder after her summation speech and she suspected that the parliament was mostly just happy to have reached a consensus. Before she could sit, Thral’kik addressed her again. ‘It is traditional for us to invite foreign diplomats to sit in on our parliament session. You are welcome to stay, Empress Amidala.’

Padmé looked over at Minister Raksin, who was watching her with an unreadable expression on his face. She turned back to Thral’kik. ‘Thank you High Minister, I would be delighted to honour your tradition,’ she said. Debrief with her retinue and their return to Couruscant would have to wait. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Raksin giving her a tight but approving nod.

///

Obi-Wan knocked on Maul’s door. There was no answer for a long moment, though Obi-Wan was sure he could sense Maul’s presence within.

‘Jedi?’ came a muffled reply. 

Obi-Wan sighed. ‘Yes, it’s “the Jedi”.’

The door swung open. Maul was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room and he was naked to the waist. Obi-Wan’s gaze caught on the bare skin for a moment before he walked up to Maul and sat in front of him on the floor. ‘I have something for you,’ he said.

Maul grimaced. ‘Is it another training lightsaber for sparring?’

Obi-Wan gave a wry smile. Sparring had become a useful way to keep Maul occupied in Padmé’s absence and eventually he’d even requisitioned a training lightsaber from the Temple. Maul had been so indignant when he realised that Jedi training lightsabers couldn’t be used to harm anyone. Obi-Wan had pointed out that as long as it parried against a real lightsaber, what would it matter. He’d received a pointed look and a wave of intense distaste through the Force. Despite this, Maul had taken to wearing it on his belt, muttering something about the weight on his hip.

Obi-Wan reached into his robes and drew out a Jedi holocron. He placed it on the ground between them. Maul didn’t reach out, but he eyed the artefact with sharp interest. 

‘A holocron?’ Maul asked.

‘Yes. I thought you might want to learn more about the Order.’

Maul reached out very slowly until his hand hovered over the holocron. Obi-Wan could sense him reaching out with the dark side of the Force and he smiled to himself. After a moment Maul picked it up. ‘You would give up the secrets of the Jedi?’ he asked.

Obi-Wan snorted. ‘You’re welcome to any secrets it’s willing to give you,’ he said.

Maul frowned. ‘It’s protected?’

‘Of course. It only gives out information you’re definitely ready for. At your level of dark side use, it will probably give you some basic philosophy and not much else. If you wanted more secrets, you’d have to learn some light side techniques.’

Maul’s frown deepened. ‘A Sith holocron gives any information a Force-sensitive asks for, no matter their level.’

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Even light side techniques can be dangerous to beginners, how do Sith stop their holocrons killing every potential apprentice?’

Maul waved a hand vaguely. ‘The strong survive.’ He held the holocron up before his face and turned it this way and that. ‘So it can only be opened by light side power.’ He glanced over at Obi-Wan.

‘Yes.’

‘Very clever, Jedi,’ said Maul. ‘Did you steal it for me?’

‘Of course, from the Temple vaults, under the very noses of the Jedi Council! I asked them on your behalf and they agreed that it was a good idea. Steal a holocron, honestly.’

Maul made a contemplative noise and put the holocron back down. ‘Does this mean you will learn some dark side techniques from me?’

‘No,’ Obi-Wan said. ‘This isn’t some sort of an exchange.’

Maul shrugged, a lithe roll of his shoulders. ‘Alright. Show me your light side meditation and how to access the Jedi holocron.’

Obi-Wan smiled and settled into a more comfortable position.

///

Maul was seated on the ground in the hangar bay and Kenobi sat opposite him. They’d tried meditating in their quarters and in training rooms, but the best results had been achieved here. There were no other people in the hangar and Maul found the regular metallic sounds from maintenance droids somewhat soothing. Of course ‘the best results’ meant that sometimes he could brush up against the light side before its presence slipped away from his grip. Progress had been a painfully slow crawl and even with the incentive of learning Jedi secrets, Maul’s patience had been eroding.

‘I don’t think your light side likes me,’ he said, opening his eyes.

Kenobi snorted without opening his eyes. ‘While even the Council debates the relative “aliveness” of the Force, I don’t think it has opinions about individual people.’

Maul growled under his breath. ‘The threads keep slipping away when I try to hold them. The dark side is completely different. It is right there and eager to be used. It doesn’t need to be _coaxed_.’ 

Kenobi opened his eyes. ‘I have often heard that the dark side is easier.’

‘Easier,’ Maul sneered. ‘It is easy to access, it is very difficult to control. Many Sith apprentices die from the dark side alone.’ That was one of the reasons that his former master had instilled obedience. He said it was safer.

Kenobi was watching him closely. ‘Maybe a different meditation style would suit you. I’m fond of the meditation of emptiness, but it skews quite hard to the Unifying Force and you seem more attuned to the Living Force… as odd as it is to say that of a Sith.’

Maul cocked his head. ‘I haven’t heard of those things.’

‘The Unifying Force is a more abstract part of the Force that deals in future visions and long-term concerns. The Living Force is the more immediate. It flows through all the living things in the galaxy and binds them together. The immediacy of instincts and combat rely more heavily on the Living Force.’ 

Maul nodded. ‘You mean the Stalking Force and the Striking Force. I have heard of those. And yes, I am stronger in the Striking Force. My former master was stronger in the Stalking Force.’

Kenobi blinked. ‘Well. I’m stronger in the Unifying Force and my former master was stronger in the Living Force. Before I settled on my own preferred meditation technique, he’d sometimes try to get me to join him in moving meditation. Maybe that would work better for you.’

Maul’s interest sharpened, and not just over the prospect of not having to sit still and bargain with the sullen light side. Kenobi seldom mentioned his former master. Maul had fought him once on Tatooine when he’d still been serving Sidious. ‘Your master was Qui-Gon Jinn,’ said Maul.

Feelings flared in Kenobi’s signature, but they were gone before Maul could identify them. ‘Yes. Now let’s stand up and I’ll show you what I remember about the technique.’

Maul stretched as he stood and decided not pursue the line of questioning. It made sense for Kenobi to have complicated feelings about a former master. Maul certainly had lots about Sidious. 

‘Repetitive physical tasks that don’t require much thought are best for this kind of meditation,’ said Kenobi. 

‘Would katas work? I could use the… training lightsaber,’ Maul said, gesturing to his hip and not bothering to hide his distaste.

Kenobi narrowed his eyes. ‘Possibly. Are you capable of doing them without emotion?’

Maul gave the question genuine thought. The dark side suffused all his combat manoeuvres, which meant there was always an element of emotion somewhere. ‘Maybe stretches rather than katas, then.’

Kenobi rubbed a hand against his face-hair. The movement was oddly compelling. ‘That could work. Do you have any slow, repetitive stretches?’ Maul nodded and they began.

The light side meditation was still much more difficult than reaching for dark side power, but the movement helped. Maul had some practice at ignoring his body for dull tasks that didn’t require focus. The light side seemed to prefer it when he wasn’t focused on anything. 

Eventually Maul lost his sense of time and only paid attention when he switched between stretches. This was the best progress he’d made with Jedi techniques yet. He was so caught up in the exercises that he didn’t notice the approach of a new person until Kenobi’s emotions rippled under his careful shields. 

Maul stood and put his back against one of the ships while Kenobi addressed the newcomer. ‘Qui-Gon! What brings you here? Could you sense me finally giving moving meditation a chance?’ he asked, straightening up from his stretch. He looked around. ‘But where’s Anakin?’ Kenobi’s tone slipped a little during his last question. 

Maul’s old target looked similar to how he’d been on Tatooine. His hair was greyer, his skin more lined, but the fighter’s grace was just as pronounced, the feel of him in the Force just as vast and placid. Maul’s lips twitched up in a sneer, but he didn’t bare his teeth. He belonged to the Empress now and she had never mentioned a desire to have any Jedi killed. Unfortunately.

Jinn’s gaze slid over to Maul, but returned to Kenobi quickly. ‘It’s been a long time, Obi-Wan, and I’m sorry we couldn’t have met again under better circumstances. I left Anakin at the Temple. I didn’t think it would be appropriate to bring him when I came to investigate the rumours and see if there really was a Sith, here, in the heart of the new Empire.’

///

The Ramnosan parliament was fairly conventional as far as Padmé could tell. The parties discussed minor changes to their laws at length, followed by voting. These were insular concerns, for the most part, that didn’t concern the Empire. Padmé kept her body language polite and attentive, but mostly passed the time watching the politicians and trying to sort out the undercurrents of power between the parties and their members. 

There was one vote regarding an industrialisation law where two members of the Conservatives voted against their party, which Padmé found fascinating. Their names were dutifully recorded by the parliamentary record-keeper, but no one seemed particularly surprised by the action. 

The session began to draw to close. Padmé was following along with a copy of the agenda and realised with a vague feeling of relief that they were up to ‘previous business’. This was the last vote before the closing remarks and dismissal of the parliamentary meeting. 

Thral’kik stood again. ‘This issue has been suspended twice due to a lack of consensus,’ here she shot a look at the Progressive party, her crest rising in agitation. ‘Today there _must_ be a vote, even if the speakers on either side refuse to relent. The new “Ramnos’s Song” holomedia has only intensified its call to violence for citizens. We have had two riots in as many months and dozens of injuries. How long before someone dies? I call to ban them from inciting violence. Opponents to my proposal stand.’ 

Iksial immediately stood, as did two ministers from smaller parties. After their names were recorded, they nodded at Iksial and sat, giving her the floor. ‘The Progressives are as concerned as you, High Minister, but _we_ cannot ban any holomedia. The violence they encourage is deplorable, but for the government to ban a voice, any voice, is a dangerous proposal. Besides, how much more violence would happen in the wake of this ban? How much would we be proving their point? They already call out to our vulnerable youths who feel ignored and silenced, must we show such clear disregard for them too?’

There was some applause as Iksial finished speaking. Thral’kik called on opponents of Iksial’s point to stand. Padmé found herself paying close attention to the debate. This was an issue of freedom and security that was one of the oldest political dilemmas. Understanding Ramnos’s position would be an important piece of information about their political climate.

Thral’kik herself stood in opposition to Iksial’s arguments, but she gave the floor to Raksin. ‘If Ramnos’s Song was inciting violence against the government I would be standing with Minister Iksial against a ban. Our traditions regarding Clear Voice are ancient and very straightforward. We cannot act on behalf of ourselves.’

Raksin paused to look between the Conservatives and the Progressives before he spoke again. ‘ _However_ , Ramnos’s Song is speaking directly to our youth and encouraging every young person who feels discontent or ignored to take up arms against anything and everything. You know what it is like to be a fledgling, where the impulse toward violence is always simmering under the surface. They attack each other and any member of society unlucky enough to be in the wrong place. We can and _must_ act in defence of these people: the victims of violence and the perpetrators who are suffering just as much.’

Raksin sat to the sound of more applause. A small-party Low Minster for health was given the floor afterwards. ‘The ministers in the Conservative block are exaggerating the severity of the situation. These are young people who are taking to the street, but they are armed in only the most technical sense. Most carry tools of vandalism rather than weaponry for murder. There have been two hospitalisations, but only in one case has the link between the perpetrator and Ramnos’s Song been proven. Yes, there have been some small “riots” but considering the physiological imperatives of fledglings, I’m surprised it hasn’t been worse. To ask when the first _death_ might occur is unfair. Please consider this when you make your vote.’

The debate became more heated, much more than the economic concerns had been. Members from both parties stood in opposition to their own leaders and there were many pauses while the record-keeper took down long lists of names. Neither side seemed to be gaining any traction the way they had during other issues. Most tellingly, the applause became more lacklustre and there was discontented murmuring in the assembly between speeches. 

Finally, Iksial took the floor for the second time and turned to face Padmé. She clacked her beak. ‘Maybe we should invite our honoured diplomat to weigh in?’ she said. ‘I for one would like to hear an outsider’s opinion of this issue.’

Padmé was taken aback. She certainly had strong opinions on such a contentious political topic, but being able to share them was more than she’d hoped for. In any other system, she’d be here merely as a ceremonial observer and not as an outsider participant. 

Thral’kik’s crest flared. ‘Empress Amidala is free and indeed encouraged to speak, of course, but remember that this is an outsider’s view. Our cultural context spans millennia.’ She seemed hesitant and looked over the rest of the Conservative block. ‘What say you, Minister Raksin?’

Raksin turned his sharp gaze to Padmé. ‘Our traditions are very clear. The voice of an outsider is a welcome addition to any parliamentary hearing. Especially after they’ve heard the most important points as determined by each side of the debate.’

Padmé got to her feet, heart pounding in her chest. She was sympathetic to both sides and had seen this key issue play out in thousands of different contexts across hundreds of worlds with many different species. The best answer was highly context-dependent, and she knew she didn’t have all the information. The dossiers about Ramnos couldn’t capture the entirety of their history, legal system and culture, let alone their physiology. In a debate this close, she could easily become a deciding factor.

‘I thank the Ministers of Ramnos for giving me the opportunity to speak before the assembly. As an outsider, I am prepared to give my opinion on the matter, though I fully acknowledge the limitations of my understanding.’ There were approving expressions on both sides of the parliamentary hall. A couple of the Progressives leaned forward as she spoke.

///

Kenobi looked uncomfortable. Maul kept a careful eye on both him and Jinn. ‘They’re hardly rumours.’ Kenobi nodded towards Maul. ‘Surely the Council informed you of the situation?’

‘Of course, but they didn’t seem to share my concerns. This isn’t the first time the Council and I haven’t seen eye-to-eye.’

A ghost of a smile crossed Kenobi’s face. ‘No, you always did go your own way.’

Jinn didn’t return the expression. ‘Obi-Wan, I don’t think the Council has your best interests at heart. Whatever their intentions with the Sith, they’ve left you here alone with him. He’s a Sith, a dark-side-user, and he corrupts by his very nature and presence. What where they thinking?’

‘They were clearly thinking that I could handle it,’ Kenobi said, his expression even blanker than usual. Maul was surprised by the wave of emotion he felt from Kenobi. He wondered if Jinn could sense it too.

Jinn shook his head. ‘The Council thinks on large scales, not small ones, and I don’t think they’ve considered all the implications of leaving a young Jedi Knight in the company of a trained Sith.’ Jinn’s tone became softer. ‘I’m worried about you, Obi-Wan.’

Kenobi’s body was one long line of combat tension. ‘Your concern is unnecessary. Unless, of course, you consider me unfit for the task?’ he asked softly.

Jinn grimaced. ‘That’s _not_ it. I’m not questioning your abilities, I’m questioning the idea that any Jedi should be put in this position. Even if you can’t accept the danger the Sith might pose to you, consider what it means that he’s so close to Amidala. She’s the most powerful person in the galaxy right now. I’ve done some research, I’ve looked into old Empires and the vast majority of them have been controlled by a Sith, directly or indirectly, and the results are always catastrophic for the galaxy.’

‘Padmé is not Force-sensitive. Do you think she’s susceptible to the dark side?’ Kenobi scoffed.

‘I think Sith are subtle and manipulative.’

Kenobi snorted at the comment. ‘Subtle? Not this one.’

‘Obi-Wan, please, can’t you feel the disturbance that Sith is causing in the Force? I was sensing it even as far out as the mid-rim. This is dangerous. _He_ is dangerous and no one on the Council is taking the immediacy of the threat seriously enough.’

A worried expression crossed Kenobi’s face, though it was gone in an instant. ‘I trust the Council and I don’t feel this disturbance in the Force. Are you sure that it relates to the Sith?’

‘Then perhaps it has already gotten to you. If you won’t see reason, then I’m running out of options.’

‘What will you do?’ Kenobi asked. His tone was closer to the usual flippant way he spoke and Maul was surprised to realise that for most of this conversation Kenobi had been unusually serious. ‘The Council has made its decision. All you could do would be to attack one of the Empress’s own bodyguards. In her own palace, no less!’ He was smiling now, but the expression had an edge of bitterness to it.

‘If I have no other choice. The Sith threat can’t be left free to corrupt and harm,’ Jinn replied steadily.

Maul couldn’t stand by in the face of such a blatant threat. He had not come all this way, surviving his first master and swearing himself to a new one, just to die on a Jedi’s lightsaber. With the dark side running strong from his rage and fear he reached out a hand and tried calling Kenobi’s lightsaber to him. 

A month ago it wouldn’t have worked, but these days Maul was familiar enough with the resonance of its kyber crystals to call it. The weapon sprang to his hand and he ignited the weak blue blade instinctively. The ’saber’s build was not too dissimilar from his old weapon. It was certainly better than the toy he’d been carrying around.

Jinn immediately drew and activated his own weapon and Maul lunged forward. Their blades crashed against each other and Maul felt a surge of fierce elation. He’d missed the feel of this, _real_ combat of the type he’d been optimised for. Even if Jinn won this fight, even if Kenobi sided with his old master and killed him, at least he would die fighting.

Maul’s blade whirled in the aggressive forms of Juyo. In Jinn he recognised the Ataru style. It was a defensive form, more useful against blasters, but there was enough space in the hangar to make it viable. If Maul could get them into a more confined space, he’d have the advantage. He tried to ignore the prickling feeling between his shoulder blades as he fought. Kenobi had yet to do more than gape at the combat, but any moment he could decide to joint in. Maul knew he wouldn’t survive their combined efforts, even if he had Kenobi’s lightsaber.

Maul lashed out with a high overhead strike, letting his blade rebound off Jinn’s block to sweep out in a mid-strike. Jinn was skilled, but he was old and if Maul could draw this battle out _maybe_ his stamina would give him a chance of winning and killing his opponent. 

Their blades crashed again and again in quick succession as Maul gave a flurry of strikes, forcing Jinn to stay on the defensive. It was important to stay away from the ships and not get caught with nowhere to retreat, but if he could get them into the corridor outside the hangar… 

‘Stop it! Both of you!’ Kenobi shouted somewhere off to Maul’s right. Neither of them spared him a glance, let alone considered breaking off the duel. 

Maul wasn’t as strong as he’d once been. Without his former master’s constant training, his form had slipped and he’d been getting complacent. Sparring with Kenobi had helped, but that was the only reason he wasn’t already dead. 

Jinn was good for a Jedi, fast and balanced with the sort of reflexes that only came with a strong connection to the Force. Maul was augmenting his speed and strength with the dark side, feeding his rage and fear into the Force. His old hatred of the Jedi was bubbling up inside him, lending power to his strikes and keeping him fast and attuned to Jinn’s movements. 

‘If you don’t stop this ridiculous fight, I’m going to do something drastic!’ Kenobi shouted. 

Maul didn’t let this distract him and instead pushed forward, trying to use brute violence to make Jinn retreat back toward the hangar door. He blocked Jinn’s next two strikes with harsh across-body sweeps of his stolen blade. Jinn backed up another step and Maul snarled, pressing his advantage.

Maul felt the flash of light side power before he registered the effect. The training ’saber at his belt flew from him and Kenobi caught it one-handed, engaging the pathetic blade. Jinn was equally distracted, but recovered first, swiping out at Maul and landing a glancing blow on his arm. Maul snarled and fed the pain into the dark side, using the Force to strengthen his weary limbs.

He pushed hard, needing to reach victory and the kill before Kenobi could really distract him. Jinn’s lightsaber was the deadly one. Maul brought his stolen lightsaber around in a vicious overhead strike. Jinn blocked, and followed the movement down to deliver a low strike. The move was fast, too fast for Maul, and for a second his hearts seized with fear. 

///

Padmé felt a brief and fierce pang, wishing she had Obi-Wan and Maul beside her. Obi-Wan would be able to act as a sounding board for her ideas, giving the calm, rational Jedi perspective and recognising any flaws in her logic. Maul might be able to provide information about Palpatine’s plans for Ramnos. Before she left, he’d told her he’d never been there for an assassination, but that didn’t mean his former master’s influence hadn’t become a factor. How easy this debate would be if it turned out this ‘Ramnos’s Song’ had been part of some Sith plan. Instead she was almost certain it was just another questionable holomedia outlet with no agenda more sinister than being heard and making credits. 

Padmé took a deep and silent breath before she spoke, centring herself. ‘We live in uncertain times. No small part of that is due to the dissolution of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. I make no pretence of the fact that there have been far-reaching consequences and destabilisation throughout the galaxy. Still, this has been preferable to the potential chaos that could have been unleashed. Under my own rule I have prioritised stability and security. In time I wish to return to a more democratic form of leadership, but for now the galaxy is looking toward strength. 

‘If a holomedia outlet is inciting violence among the most vulnerable members of your society, it is my opinion that they should be stopped. Your people don’t need this added source of fear and hostility. I urge you not to ban Ramnos’s Song entirely, but to censor them and prevent them from spreading messages of hate and destruction. Vet their content and end this malicious call to arms.’

There was silence in the hall. Both Iksial and Thral’kik were staring at her with unabashed surprise. Raksin’s crest was relaxed against his head and he nodded once, a barely perceptible movement of his head. Padmé sat down slowly and the movement jolted some of the Ramnosans out of their surprise. There was a smattering of applause.

///

Another green lightsaber blade blocked Jinn’s strike. The training lightsaber. Kenobi. Fierce triumph surged through Maul and he bared his teeth, striking out with renewed force. He felt a wash of emotion from Jinn, a mingled horror and despair. Kenobi was utterly silent in the Force. His emotional guards tighter than Maul had ever felt them.

Jinn drew back far enough to disengage. ‘Obi-Wan?’ His tone carried surprise and deep concern. ‘You’re not dark. This isn’t you.’

‘I’m _not_ dark, but I won’t let you two kill each other. You must put an end to this ridiculous contest,’ said Kenobi.

Maul sneered. He wasn’t about to back down and bare his throat for a murderous Jedi.

‘I will not let you fall, Obi-wan. Let me help you,’ said Jinn.

There was a flash of anger from Kenobi, but he wasted it without feeding it into the Force. ‘I haven’t needed your help in years, and I certainly don’t need it now. Is that so hard to believe?’

Jinn’s expression tightened at the feel of Kenobi’s anger and he raised his lightsaber again. Maul surged forward, aiming for Jinn’s gut. His blow was parried, but Jinn’s retaliation strike was caught on Kenobi’s training blade. There was no way Jinn could stand against the two of them. Bloodlust and a strange thrill ran through Maul. He’d never fought lightsaber and lightsaber beside an ally before. He liked the feeling.

Three blades whirled in elegant strikes and blocks. Jinn was so far on the defensive that he barely had a moment to make his own strikes. Maul pressed his advantage, striking out more and more aggressively and trusting Kenobi to catch any strikes Jinn managed to make.

It occurred to Maul that Kenobi was at a deadly disadvantage with the training lightsaber. Either he or Jinn would be able to maim or kill him given the way his blade posed no threat. Obviously Maul had no intention of harming an ally, but Kenobi must be relying on Jedi weakness to stop Jinn from killing him. Maul sneered. Even without killing, cutting off a hand or leg would be the quickest way for Jinn to neutralise Kenobi. He _had_ to understand that, but even so, Jinn was foolishly reserving all his aggression for Maul.

Maul circled to the left, hoping that Kenobi would circle to the right and force Jinn to split his focus. Jinn backed away instead, still parrying two sets of strikes. His combat abilities were impressive, but he was doomed. Even the best Jedi would fall between two strong Force-sensitive opponents. 

Just as Jinn finished blocking Maul’s next mid-strike, Kenobi darted in, moving fast and sure. His weak blade turned in a complex move around Jinn’s weapon. He couldn’t burn Jinn’s flesh, but the strength and speed he used was enough to catch on Jinn’s hilt and force the weapon from his hand. The lethal green blade deactivated as it flew through the air, leaving Jinn disarmed. Trust a Jedi to know a useless non-lethal move. Maul brought his stolen lightsaber around to behead Jinn, only for Kenobi to block the strike.

‘Jedi,’ Maul growled, surprise and anger rising in a hot rush beneath his skin.

‘Enough, Maul. Both of you! This is insane. The Council trusts me to keep an eye on Maul and it’s our duty to follow their directives. You can’t just decide you know better, especially when you don’t have all the facts.’ Jinn stared at both of them. ‘Give me back my lightsaber,’ Kenobi said, turning to look Maul in the eyes.

///

Thral’kik stood and made a grating sound that seemed to be clearing her throat. ‘Those that would stand against Empress Amidala’s argument?’ she asked.

Iksial stood quickly enough that she was given the floor. She barely waited for Thral’kik to sit before speaking. ‘The Empress is an outsider to Ramnos and doesn’t understand our ways. Please consider that when you vote.’ She sat.

When Thral’kik called for opponents to Iksial’s point, more ministers stood than had previously. The floor was given to Raksin. 

‘You know I speak plainly.’ There were some muffled sounds of amusement from a few of his party members. ‘Minister Iksial called on the Empress expecting her opinion to coincide with the Progressive viewpoint. Instead, even an outsider can see the importance of protecting Ramnosans from this kind of violence. I admire a voice who would speak not in favour of one party with one narrow viewpoint, but would speak on each issue as she saw fit. Consider _that_ when you vote.’ 

There were few other speeches after that. Everyone could see which way the issue was going to be decided. When the vote came, it was overwhelmingly in favour of censoring Ramnos’s Song, and Thral’kik’s summation speech was met with thunderous applause. Padmé could only imagine how difficult it had been for this debate to be dragged out over three separate parliamentary sessions. She tried to catch Iksial’s eyes during the vote, but the Low Minster was ignoring her. Thral’kik, on the other hand, gave her a brief nod as the record-keeper tallied the votes. Padmé nodded back and started thinking about what she’d discuss with her retinue once they all got back to the ships.

///

Every instinct screamed at Maul to use the fact of his superior weapon to disable Kenobi and finish the kill. But he couldn’t. Not the Empress’s Jedi who’d proved where his loyalties lay. He deactivated the ugly blue lightsaber, reversed his grip and handed it over. Jinn watched the exchange in silence, his expression and feelings completely unreadable.

Kenobi turned back to Jinn. ‘As much as I understand your concerns about the Sith, are you sure you’re not letting your attachment to me cloud your judgement, Qui-Gon?’ Kenobi asked quietly. 

Jinn’s eyes widened for a moment before he controlled his expression again. ‘The Force is telling me that this Sith is dangerous. It worries me that you can’t feel that.’

‘Then maybe you should take that up with the Council. Find out if they can sense the same disturbance,’ said Kenobi.

‘I will go before the Council again. They must be informed that you fought shoulder-to-shoulder with a Sith against a Jedi.’

There was a brief flare of panic from Kenobi, quickly stifled. ‘May the Force be with you, Qui-Gon.’

Jinn looked pained for a moment. ‘And may the Force be with you, Obi-Wan. I hope you know what you’re doing.’ With that he called his lightsaber back and left, leaving Kenobi feeling faintly resentful and worried in the Force.

‘Jedi,’ said Maul. Kenobi was still staring off after where his former master had gone and didn’t respond. Maul growled under his breath. ‘Kenobi.’ 

Kenobi’s head turned and he stared. Maul took a step forward. He hesitated for a moment, but then reached out and laid a hand on Kenobi’s shoulder.

Kenobi twitched, but he didn't pull away. ‘I was… right, I think. He’ll go before the Council. _They’ll_ know who was right.’

Maul could feel the edges of fear in Kenobi now that they were touching. ‘Of course you were right. Your Council knows I belong to the Empress. That _we_ belong to the Empress.’ 

Kenobi gave a bitter laugh. ‘Oh yes, that makes all the difference in the galaxy.’

Maul let his hand drop away and he moved until he was standing directly in Kenobi’s line of sight. The emotions were all there in way that Maul almost never felt, but they were useless and undisciplined. He’d offered to train Kenobi before, but he knew that a Jedi would have to refuse. Before, that rejection had suited Maul, but now he knew Kenobi would stand with him against a threat, even without the Empress’s direct presence reminding him of his duty.

‘Listen, Kenobi, my former master did not teach me much philosophy. It was not part of the training. He was less concerned with dark and light and more concerned with power. I learned many forms and techniques from him and some of what I learned was old.’

Distracted as he was, Kenobi still had the presence of mind to narrow his eyes. ‘Where are you going with this?’

‘The Sith split off from the Jedi Order long ago. Some of the oldest techniques were Jedi techniques, lost to your Order. I want to teach you what I know about such things. You are an ally and you need to be more powerful in the Force.’

Kenobi winced. ‘No, I –’ he trailed off with a shake of his head. ‘I need to meditate about this. About all of this. I’m not going to fall.’ His fear rose at his own words.

Maul made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. ‘Not everything is about falling.’ He fed his anger into the Force, rather than let it interfere with the conversation and felt dark side power rise in him. He put his hand on Kenobi’s shoulder again and squeezed lightly. ‘Think about it, then. Maybe _you_ should talk to your Council.’

///

‘Thank you for agreeing to see me, Master Windu,’ Obi-Wan said, inclining his head.

Master Windu returned the gesture. ‘It’s no trouble, but this isn’t the Council chambers. You can drop the title, Kenobi.’ He gestured towards the table in the centre of the room. The chairs were plain and hard-backed – exactly the way Obi-Wan remembered them from his days in the Temple. Of course Master Windu’s room was larger than his had been during his apprenticeship. 

‘Alright,’ said Obi-Wan as he followed Master Windu to the table and sat in one of the chairs.

‘Is this about the Sith?’

Obi-Wan hesitated. ‘Yes. Sort of. I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands.’

Master Windu raised an eyebrow. ‘I was a little surprised when you requested a Jedi holocron for the Sith. It was a clever move, though.’

‘Yes, well, he’s been… improving… somewhat. I think he genuinely has Empress Amidala’s best interests in mind, though the levels of attachment he has with her are far from good.’

‘I _have_ been reading your reports, you know,’ said Master Windu reprovingly. ‘More carefully than some other members of the Council,’ he added.

‘Yes.’ Obi-Wan looked down at the surface of the table. It was probably best to just broach the topic and stop dithering. ‘I know that the Sith were originally a splinter group of the Jedi. Maul’s offered to teach me things he learned from Palpatine that he claims were originally ancient Jedi techniques. I rejected the offer, of course. But for a moment I was… tempted.’

Master Windu heaved a sigh. ‘So you came to me because I use the Vaapad style of combat, then.’

Obi-Wan blinked. ‘What? No, I came to you because you seemed to be the one taking the Sith threat the most seriously.’

Master Windu barked a laugh. ‘I’m almost not surprised. Look Kenobi, do you know why the Jedi Code so strongly forbids the use of the dark side?’

‘Because it corrupts by its very nature.’

‘Yes and no,’ Master Windu replied. ‘It’s easy for a Force-sensitive, far, far too easy, to fall to the dark side. It doesn’t _necessarily_ corrupt, but it wants to consume you _and it will_ , if you relax your guard. The light side doesn’t do that.’ Master Windu sat back and steepled his fingers in front of his face. ‘How much do you know about Vaapad, modified from the seventh form of lightsaber fighting?’

Obi-Wan blinked. ‘Only that it uses emotions during battle, which you then have to let go once the fight’s over. And that some have called the seventh form naturally dark.’

‘True. It’s also true that many Jedi who try to use it fall. The Jedi master who developed Vapaad alongside me fell. It’s _dangerous_. And the tragedy of the style is that the sort of Jedi who would seek to learn it are precisely the sort of Jedi who are most at risk.’

‘I see.’

‘I wonder if you do,’ Master Windu said, raising an eyebrow. ‘If someone comes to me asking to teach them Vaapad, I turn them away. Likewise, there are plenty of Jedi, who if they told me they’d been tempted by a Sith, I’d send back to the Temple for a decade’s worth of meditation. But this is you, Kenobi, and considering the sort of Jedi you are, you could probably learn to handle Vaapad.’

‘I wouldn’t want to,’ Obi-Wan said. He frowned at the idea, though inside he felt warmed by Master Windu’s praise.

‘Exactly. So maybe find out what this Sith has to say about ancient Jedi ways. Not everything we found in Palpatine’s hoard were Sith artefacts, but all of them had been rigged with some nasty traps that make them difficult to access.’

‘I don’t know if it will be safe to learn anything from Maul.’

‘The galaxy isn’t a safe place. Keep the wariness because that’ll help. But really, why do you think the Sith wants to teach you anything?’

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair. ‘If you’d asked me a month ago I would have said to tempt me into falling. Now? I actually believe he wants to make me stronger to better defend the Empress.’

‘Does the idea of power tempt you?’ Master Windu asked.

‘No.’ Obi-Wan felt confident of that, at least. If Windu had asked about attachment, it might have been a different matter.

‘Good, so I’ll ask again, why does the Jedi Code forbid the dark side?’

Obi-Wan was silent for a long moment. ‘Because it’s too dangerous. Because for most Jedi it isn’t worth it.’

Master Windu gave an approving nod. ‘Yes, because it isn’t worth losing ten Jedi to the dark side for every viable Vaapad-user when there are six more safer forms. A lot of outsiders don’t get that about our teachings. We make rules because when you have thousands of Force-sensitive you need ways to stop them from going dark and subjugating everyone else.’

‘As you said, Windu, the galaxy is a dangerous place.’

Master Windu leaned forward and pointed a finger at Obi-Wan. ‘Exactly. And there’s nothing so dangerous as a Force-user. We have _far_ too much power. That’s the reason we don’t try and redeem Sith. It probably is possible, but it’s not worth endangering the lives of the Jedi who’d need to capture a Sith alive and then keep them contained.’ 

Obi-Wan sat back in his seat. ‘So why is the Council is leaving Maul in Empress Amidala’s hands?’ he asked.

Master Windu gave a grim smile. ‘To find out if it is possible to turn a Sith at all.’ 

///

Maul blocked Kenobi’s next strike and landed a solid kick, just below the ribs. ‘Alright, take the pain and feed it into the Force,’ he instructed. Kenobi’s expression flickered, but the spark of pain drifted away like mist. Maul growled. ‘No, not _send_ it into the Force, _feed_ it.’

Kenobi huffed and aimed another punch. ‘Your instructions aren’t as helpful as you seem to think they are.’

‘Then use _that_ frustration. You have to connect to the Force through your emotions. Channel _while_ feeling.’ He struck Kenobi in the shoulder to help him use the pain. Also because he wanted to. It was frustrating trying to teach a Jedi to disregard the ingrained patterns of weak Force-use.

This time the flicker of pain in Kenobi was accompanied by a brief flare of power.

‘Good! Again,’ Maul demanded.

Kenobi sighed and readied his stance against the next onslaught of strikes. ‘It feels different using pain like this.’

Maul nodded. ‘It feels different in your signature.’

‘No, I mean… I’m not ignoring the pain like I would to channel the light side, it’s still there and it still hurts, even, but… the hurt just seems to matter less.’

Maul gave a grunt of approval. ‘Yes. If you get good enough you can fight and channel even through great pain. You could survive things that would otherwise kill you a hundred times over.’

‘That doesn’t sound fun,’ Kenobi said, but Maul recognised the tone as joking.

‘It isn’t. But you’ll live.’

Before Maul could initiate the fight again, one of the clone soldiers entered the training room. ‘Sir,’ he said, looking between them.

‘Something to report, Cody?’ Kenobi asked.

‘The Empress’s ship is just out of orbit and she’s calling for the two of you over the palace’s main holofeed.’

A fierce satisfaction rose in Maul. She was fine and she would be back soon. He wanted to kneel at her feet and re-swear himself… even if she’d just tell him to get up again. ‘Thank you,’ he said and turned to Kenobi. ‘We should go.’

Kenobi nodded decisively and after dismissed Cody, they made their way to Kenobi’s quarters. They immediately switched on the holofeed and the Empress’s wavering form appeared. Maul could feel the tension of the last few weeks dissipate. 

‘Empress,’ he said, voice rough.

She smiled. ‘Hello to you both. Everything went well on Ramnos. I got the concessions I wanted and I think their parliament will see the Empire as a friend and may even join us some day. How have things been on your end?’

‘Oh fine, fine,’ said Kenobi. ‘No assassination attempts happened while you were gone, oddly enough, and none of the systems have come clamouring to the door about trade routes or the clone army. It’s been a nice break, really.’

Maul scowled. ‘It has been a tense break. A few days ago we heard about the pirate attack.’

The Empress’s expression became darker. ‘I’m not going to discuss the details until I get back, but I don’t think they were actually pirates,’ she said.

‘Interesting,’ Kenobi said and raised an eyebrow. 

The Empress waved the topic away. ‘And how have you two been?’

‘Getting along.’ Kenobi smirked.

Maul nodded. ‘Yes, Kenobi is more agreeable now.’

‘Kenobi? How did you get Maul to use your actual name, Jedi?’ The Empress asked with a smirk.

Kenobi coughed into his hand. ‘We can, ah, give you the details when you get back.’

The Empress nodded. ‘Unfortunately, I’ll have to cut this short, we’ve cleared the checkpoint and should be hitting atmosphere any moment and the connection’s going to get unstable.’

They nodded. ‘It is good to see you,’ said Maul.

‘Yes,’ Kenobi agreed. ‘Safe trip in.’

‘Thank you. I’ll see you both in a few hours.’

The transmission cut out. Kenobi turned to him. ‘You’re the most settled I’ve felt you since she left. The profound influence she has on you isn’t necessarily good for you. There’s a reason the Jedi eschew attachments.’

‘Perhaps,’ said Maul neutrally. He had to hide his smile though, because whatever Kenobi was reading, it couldn’t have been half so telling as what Maul could read off him. Their training session had lowered some of Kenobi’s emotional guards and the relief and happiness from him was loud too. ‘It is good to have her back though.’

Kenobi nodded. ‘It is.’

**Author's Note:**

> **Coda**
> 
> Padmé sat back in her seat. ‘It will be good to get back home.’
> 
> Rex nodded. ‘It’ll be nice having you back with more soldiers and your Jedi bodyguards.’ 
> 
> Padmé smiled at Rex. Then she noticed the long-range holotransmission was active. ‘That’s odd, were we expecting a hail?’ 
> 
> Rex frowned. ‘Not that I know. The signal’s coming from Naboo.’
> 
> Padmé accepted the transmission and a familiar form appeared, limned in the blue glow of the holofeed. 
> 
> ‘Empress, it’s good to see you again,’ said Sabé. 
> 
> Padmé’s face broke into a huge grin. ‘And you. How have you been?’
> 
> ‘Worried after I heard about what happened on your way to Ramnos. Didn’t your time as Queen teach you anything?’ Sabé asked with a raised eyebrow. 
> 
> Rex’s gaze shifted uneasily between the two of them. 
> 
> Padmé felt a little chastened. ‘We were attacked on route, I couldn’t have foreseen that.’
> 
> Sabé waved away the comment. ‘No, that wasn’t your fault. I meant why don’t you have any decoys?’
> 
> ‘I’d… never given it much thought. I was a senator for a while and that was a position without a retinue and then when I ended up as head of the Empire…’ she shrugged.
> 
> ‘Well, the latest Queen of Naboo looks quite different from you and your old handmaidens have been looking for a job.’
> 
> Padmé hid a smile. ‘With your training, I’m sure any of the special branches of state security would happily take all of you.’
> 
> Sabé didn’t bother hiding her grin. ‘That’s not what I meant, Empress, and you know it.’
> 
> Rex cleared his throat. ‘If they’re asking to help with taking some of the heat off you, I urge you to accept their proposal, Empress.’ The sheer hope in his eyes was a little surprising. 
> 
> Padmé sobered. ‘Thank you, Sabé, I would be honoured to accept you and the rest of my handmaidens. It should be easy enough to create an official position for all of you.’


End file.
